The invention relates to a method as well as an apparatus for the cleansing of the matrix of a magnetic separator, particularly of a wet-magnetic separator having adherent magnetic material whereby the matrix is cleansed with a liquid medium and, as an additional cleansing medium, a compressible medium is used, according to U.S. application Ser. No. 848,645 of Bender et al, now abandoned, incorporated herein by reference.
The favorable cleansing effect of the method mentioned above rests on the fact that the compressible medium, preferably oil-free compressed air, upon passage through the matrix, undergoes a substantially lower drop in pressure than the liquid, and upon its expansion transfers a part of the kinetic energy being released to the liquid. On account thereof the compressed air intensively penetrates through the narrow intermediary spaces of the induction poles. Therefore, a substantially better and also more rapid cleansing effect takes place than in the case of known cleaning procedures with use of liquid alone. Also, the compressed air and liquid are preferably separately introduced into a common charging chamber directly above the matrix.
An advantageous embodiment of the method mentioned at the beginning provides in this connection that the cleansing is undertaken with a mixture of liquid and gaseous medium, whereby advantageously the gaseous medium is conveyed under increased pressure through the matrix.
The yields attained with this method from the magnetic separator with improved cleansing effect lie comparably higher than with magnetic separators which are cleansed exclusively with water.
With the improvement of the cleansing, however, there is also a higher use of energy, and at the same time stronger abrasion phenomena result at the ferromagnetic poles of the matrix.